Learning on line and discovering beauties of underwater marine flora and fauna

Playing underwater video games even though an aquatic console

Distant Teleoperating of submersible devices

Integrated multimedia mixed reality system, of real time virtual diving, by web teleoperated underwater data collecting robots, diffused online and through a network of submersible simulation devices. The visionary objective of Digital Ocean is to “open to people connected to the internet, an access to ocean depths, at anytime, anywhere.”

There is a sense of urgency about offering to the public, ways to discover by themselves, how oceans – earth’s fragile life support system, are being irreversibly impoverished. New technologies are now capable of challenging traditional scuba diving by creating an innovative form of diving, based on science and technology, not on bravery – virtual diving in real time. Navigating freely in the oceanic realm, a dream rooted on man’s origins, is now accessible to all.

Smart autonomous robots are used to collect underwater digital data that generate sceneries of undersea in 3D interactive imagery. To further enhance virtual diving experience, are integrated in the system a serious video game, a wiki-editing and e-learning platforms, linked with marine specialists.

Digital Ocean aims to combine proven technologies from specialities such as robotics, electronics, information and communication technologies, submarine acoustics, with cutting edge technology such as underwater mixed and augmented reality or teleoperatation of underwater robots through the web.

People at home, on the move with their mobiles, or on pools and beaches – using dedicated submersible simulation devices, will be able to experience multisensory diving, on those distant sites.

“The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Program managed by REA – Research Executive Agency ([FP7/2007-2013][FP7/2007-2011]) under grant agreement n° 262160”